Kai Kahele is the second Native Hawaiian to serve as a voting member of Congress since Hawai'i achieved statehood, after Daniel Akaka. Kahele is a combat veteran, pilot, and a commissioned officer in the Hawai‘i Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force where he continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawai'i. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules pilot in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.